Sydney prisoners’ get out of jail-free-card; orderd home to make way for projected arrests of 500 APEC protestors

Posted by gmarkets on 3 September, 2007

The State Government of NSW, Australia, would release people serving periodic detention in Sydney jails during the APEC forum in case prison beds were needed for protestors arrested if demonstrations turned violent, reported The Sydney Morning Herald (3/9/2007, p.2).President Bush’s entourage: Two years ago Sydney hoteliers were contacted by the Federal Government and asked to reserve thousands of rooms for the summit. But the expected 6000 delegates from the 21 APEC nations have not materialised. Instead, only about 4000 have said they were coming to town. The US President, George Bush, would arrive with three jumbos – Air Force One, a back-up and another 747 for hangers-on – carrying more than 700 people, including the official party, presidential advisers and staff, medical staff, cooks and security, and journalists. Then there were transport planes bringing in the presidential helicopter, Marine One, a back-up, a fleet of motorcade vehicles including Secret Service Chevrolet Suburbans, an ambulance and … a back-up motorcade.

Cost of meeting: The cost of the forum was expected to top $330 million, of which $170 million would be spent on security, which included 22 explosive detector dogs at $90,000 an animal, police checks on the 22,000 people involved in the event, which included about 1,500 media, local hospitality workers, as well as the Sydney Children’s Choir. The State Government also spent $600,000 on a water cannon.